SUV breaking tradition

A marque’s fan favourite is turning electric from the second quarter of 2026 with the arrival of the e Vitara. 

Completely new from the ground up, it is Suzuki Global’s first fully electric vehicle and will be coming hot off the production line in Gujarat, India.

While this new SUV breaks away from the brand’s traditional visual looks, the marque says it’s still a driver-centric vehicle made to fit easily into everyday life. 

The e Vitara will come in two options – a 61kWh two-wheel drive with an estimated WLTP range of up to 430km on a full charge and a 61kWh ALLGRIP all-wheel drive with a range up to 396km. 

It features a smooth bevelled body shape for aerodynamic efficiency and quiet driving, 18-inch black alloys in a five-spoke design and a black front grille, which opens and shuts to assist battery-cooling efficiency.

Built on Suzuki’s HEARTECT-e platform, the e Vitara’s advanced safety technology includes autonomous emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic-sign recognition and parking sensors to name a few. The safety-alert sound pedestrians hear as it approaches is of a jet taking off.

Inside, the EV “feels like a spaceship about to time warp the moment the door is opened”. Its sleek digital-first cabin has intuitive controls and is spacious.

There are heated front seats and steering wheel, wireless charging, and customisable ambient lighting on the front door panels and centre console. A smart climate-control system recycles heat efficiently to warm the cabin while conserving the battery for driving range.

“We’re really looking forward to the arrival of the e Vitara,” says Aaron Wales, national sales manager of Suzuki NZ. “There’s no doubt this outstanding new SUV will appeal to Kiwis and their sense of adventure. It will be an excellent addition to our range of affordable and fun small cars and SUVs.”

Final specifications are yet to be confirmed for the New Zealand market.